Checkers Open Season With Penguins Split
Charlotte Checkers
The much anticipated hockey season began for our Charlotte Checkers on Friday night with a matchup against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins at home in the Bojangles Coliseum. In front of a good crowd, the game was a defensive one for the first two periods. Neither side could find the back of the net as both goalies gave their teams a great chance to win going into the final period. Checkers’ goalie Spencer Knight, who hadn’t played in a game since February 18th, stopped the first 18 shot attempts he faced.
The third period was when the offensive action would pick up. The Penguins scored two quick goals in the first three minutes of the period and Will Lockwood (playing his first game as a Checker) answered mere seconds later with a redirect goal of his own to cut the Penguins’ lead to 2-1. Lockwood also would go on to lead the team in shots on goal, with five. The Penguins went on to score twice more as the final period waned, both empty-netters. Ryan McAllister scored with just eight seconds left to put another one on the board for the home team, but that was it as the Checkers lost the opener by a score of 4-2.
Looking to redeem themselves the following night before the Penguins headed out of town, the Checkers started Mack Guzda in goal. Guzda would take full advantage of it and had himself a great night stopping 32 of the 33 shots he faced. After a scoreless first, Rasmus Asplund put Charlotte on the board early in the second and Patrick Khodorenko added to it late in the period to give the Checkers a 2-0 lead going into the third.
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Will Lockwood scored his second goal in as many games, beating the Penguins’ netminder halfway through the third, giving Charlotte a comfortable 3-0 lead with just ten minutes of play remaining. Colin White finally put the Penguins on the board with four minutes left, the only one to beat Guzda all game long. With an empty-netter from Khodorenko giving him his second goal of the game, and sealing the victory for the Checkers, the final score was 4-1.
The Checkers will have the week off before returning to action this Saturday and Sunday, with matchups on the road against the Toronto Marlies, who are 1-0-1, and their next home matchup is slated for October 27th against the Bridgeport Islanders. Go Checkers!
Garett